Nowhere to Go
by IronChainDragon
Summary: Four friends, who have lost everything. One fairy, working to end many worlds. And the events that lead to them all, in some way, getting what they wanted, in the end. Ringabel/Edea Tiz/Agnes
1. Before the Beginning

Daichi: As I have nothing better to do while I wait for Norende to have everything I need for Chaugmar-

Verity: Nothing you do takes more than a half hour.

Daichi: -As I was saying, I figured I might as well do this, given that I've fallen victim to internet spoilers, and given that I've fallen in love with the story and characters, I'll do my best to give them a truly happy ending.

Vee-Vee: If she owned Bravely Default, you can bet the ships would have actually happened. So far, they have not.

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Airy allowed herself a small smile as she resumed her smaller form. The number on her wings ticked down one. No matter how many times she had done this, how many she had killed, it still gave her that same glint of satisfaction. Well accustomed to this area, she simply waited for this version of Agnes to appear.

She had plans for this world, big plans. She had grown bored of killing the heroes again and again, no matter how satisfying it might be in the short term. And by now the numbers had reached the single digits. Passed by that mark, even.

It wouldn't be the first time the heroes had lived past the linking of their first world, either because their counterparts had died in that world and she knew it, or they just got lucky. Most of the time they ended up in the next world, and were dispatched upon no longer being of use. But that wasn't always the case. In one world, Edea had been sick and resting at an inn while Agnes and Tiz awakened the Earth Crystal. As far as Airy knew, she was still alive. Maybe. Not like she'd ever paid attention to those things. She'd never observed anything unusual in particular, especially not when waiting for Agnes.

Had she, she might have noticed the Asterisk fall into the Great Chasm. She might have noticed him stagger into the woods. And she might have acted. But by the time she found out, it would be too late.

It was a day of tragedy and evil. That day, Norende fell anew. That day, Airy gave to plotting. But it wasn't all bad.

For that day, the three heroes of light, became four.

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Edea watched the world go by from the airship, wondering just what she would find around Caldisla. Whether the Vestal was there or not, this would be one of the most important days of her life. Today was her first day away from Eternia. Alternis, Master Kamiizumi, and her father had all seen the outside world, and told her stories.

Fingering Ise-no-Kami in it's sheath, she tried to focus on the land beneath her, eventually deciding against it. It made her dizzy.

Realizing how long it might take for them to reach Caldisla, she went below deck, where cots were haphazardly set up. She was just glad she was traveling on the second ship instead of the first. Bad enough she was being partnered with Ominas for this, she didn't want to deal with his pyromania any more than necessary. To be honest, he sort of got on her nerves.

Little did she realize that this was the most important day of her life. She would later say it was just the right place at the right time, but that wasn't enough. That was the day she set on the path that would make her a hero.

If only it didn't require so much sacrifice.

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Dark Knight Alternis Dim did not expect to see two young males knocked out in the ravine, having figured any survivors would either get to Caldisla or get eaten by monsters. One of them, the older one, looked extremely like him, but he put it off as passing resemblance.

The younger one, the one more definitely from Norende, had a bad injury on his head and was scratched all over. Alternis' double didn't fare all that much better, but he suspected he may not be from Norende. White hair wasn't exactly common there. In all likelihood, he was just visiting or something.

He never knew who his double was. All he knew was that he found him near the Great Chasm, along with another boy. He left Caldisla soon after, when the Sky Knights arrived with two airships, one of which he would take back to Eternia. Had he stayed longer, he may have spoken with his double, noticed the book he was carrying. But he didn't.

And the worlds all suffered for it.

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Agnes felt the ship rock beneath her as she sailed to Caldisla. From there she planned on visiting the Great Chasm and inspecting the damage done. The key word being planned.

Getting to the port from Ancheim had taken hours longer than it should have. It took even longer to find the right ship, the only one going where she was going.

The outer seas were rotting, and she was glad she'd found the right ship. She may not have gotten another chance otherwise. Of course, this opened up the issue of getting back, but she pushed that aside. After all, with her sense of direction, it wasn't impossible to consider getting set upon by monsters. She made a mental note to buy a knife or something while in town, to up her chances of survival. After all, she did carry money, even if she'd only gotten it from the king as a loan for her travels. In all odds, she should make it to the Chasm.

And she did, setting Airy's plan in motion once more.

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Tsukaimon: Wow, given what happened when you last tried a prologue... you're improving!

BlackGatomon: You expected anything different of her?


	2. Awakening

Daichi: Summoning level four, huh? Yes! THEY WILL ALL BURN!

Verity: And I thought I could be sadistic. At least her files are here... Edea, a little help here?

Edea: I'm not even here willingly. Why did you bring us here?

Tsukaimon: Dai's idea, and she's kinda... emulating Ominas Crowe right now... so we can't ask her.

Edea: The girl spazzing over Promethean Fire doesn't own anything.

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The first thing Tiz felt was warmth. Warmth, and the sensation of softness. But how? The last thing he remembered was being with Til and the sheep just outside of Norende... He bolted up with the realization. Til was dead.

Not just him, either. Everyone he ever knew, gone. Unless someone was out of town at the time, but the odds of that...

Norende had been a small village. He knew everyone there by name. There was no one else.

"Oh, you're awake." He hadn't noticed the man, or felt like it was worth noticing. The innkeeper, most likely.

"How long have I been out?"

"A week. I hate to tell you this, but you're the only survivor from Norende. The other lad brought in with you wasn't from there, he believes. Hard to prove, with his amnesia and all... but his hair color isn't exactly usual for a place like that."

Someone else? He didn't remember any visitors. Then again, he could have just been arriving. But the village hadn't had all that much contact with the outside world. They would trade their goods, of course, and answered to the Caldislan King, but living where they did made travel conditions less than ideal. He'd never left town without a knife, and never went farther than the sight of town.

"Where is this place?"

"You're at the inn, in Caldisla."

Tiz nodded, taking in the information.

"I need to go back. See the damage for myself."

"You've only just woken up. You need your rest."

Tiz consented to sleep for just a bit, in order to regain his strength. He'd return to Norende come the next day.

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The next morning, Tiz went to the weapon shop, buying a dagger in case he came across monsters. He could probably take a goblin with his bare hands, but didn't want to risk it.

Sticking the dagger in his belt, he left. The ravine was through thick forests and he ended up having to slice through brambles that got in his way. A slime surged up in his path, and he effortlessly disposed of it.

Eventually, he reached the ravine. It was a rather straightforward path, only a few branches served to converge together again or reach a dead end. If one were to get lost, they would have to have an extremely poor sense of direction.

Eventually, nearing the location that Norende used to be, he saw the edge of a wide chasm. The bottom of it was full of spikes, covered in blood, wool, and the remains of buildings, what looked like machine parts, and people.

He almost broke down right there. Almost. But he couldn't. He decided right then.

He would rebuild his village, by himself if he had to. He figured that the best way to start that would be to see how far the chasm spread.

Walking along the edge, he saw a girl, about his age. She was speaking to a creature right next to her about something.

"Uh... Hello!?"

The girl turned around, stepping back, and nearly falling off of the edge. Thinking quickly, he ran forward and grabbed her wrist just before she could take the plunge.

"Th-thanks."

"No problem. It was sort of my fault anyway."

"Not really. Just, hearing a voice, out here, it... shocked me."

"Sorry about that. I'm Tiz, by the way. Tiz Arrior."

"Agnes Oblige, Vestal of Wind."  
"Vestal?"

"She gives her life to serve the crystals," the being next to her explained, "Anyway, I'm Airy. I'm a cryst-fairy, here to assist the vestal."

Agnes looked apprehensive at Airy giving away all that information, but didn't say anything. Tiz decided that this girl on her own needed protection. This is what set him on his life's path. This is what caused him to form the bonds that would last a lifetime.

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The Sky Knights were a force to be reckoned with, given their power, and access to four Asterisks. They were also quite the large force, as, while Barras Lehr was quite powerful, there was nothing quite like an armed battalion for stirring up trouble. Naturally, despite things including safety in numbers, there was the issue of food and lodging for an army.

Basically, their premise was that commanding officers got a roof over their heads, and the grunts did not. Thankfully, while Edea was not a commanding officer, she was the Grand Marshall's daughter, and thus treated with respect.

She sat at a window at Lontano Villa, wondering just how all of her friends were doing. The Venus sisters were likely still listening to DeRosa, of course, and Alternis had likely arrived back in Eternia by now, as the duchy's airships could be extremely fast if pushed.

He'd left rather quickly, only stopping long enough to tell Heinkel what to expect from Caldisla, not even bothering with sending a greeting her way. She didn't mind. Such things were to be expected from him, as she'd long noticed.

Given that his spying efforts involved being without his helmet, she was disappointed that he was wearing it the brief time that he was there. She wondered if she'd be able to recognize him otherwise. It had been so long since she'd seen him without it, she could no longer remember what he looked like.

It was a sad day when you realized you didn't even remember the face of one of your closest friends.

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Ringabel shuffled through the pages of his book, reading the notes. It had a lot of information, but not about the past he had lost.

No, this book had a story of the future, a story of a boy and two girls, written in the style of a journal. After the... rather bizarre last few written pages, he had started his own journal, with his own drawings in it. It just felt right, somehow. But while he wrote in the book, he also read it, looking for clues to his forgotten past in the glimpses shown of the future. A futile effort, but one that made him feel better.

One of the girls in the story, Edea Lee, was... special to him, somehow. The pictures showed her as beautiful, and something made him want to see her, just once.

And he would, soon enough. For now, content enough, but unknowing where his choices may lead him. Little did he know just how essential he would be to the quest.

How essential he'd be to the survival of all worlds.

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Daichi: Even if they don't do anything special, I'm going to have the five main characters appear at least once every chapter.

Verity: When did you stop...?

Daichi: When I beat Chaugmar. Now, for this... first, how did no one notice this thing? Second, why must there be so much with a thunder weakness? Oh, well, more experience, given that level grinding before Qada is definitely a good idea... Oh, Edea, you can leave now.

Edea: Finally.


	3. Point of Familiarity

Dai: So, I think I'll change the direction just a little bit so I can throw in a few joke I've been meaning to use for quite some time.

Verity: We don't own any of this. Any of it. Any of it.

Dai: Hey, are you all right? You sound like a broken record.

Verity: Any of it. Any of it. Any of it.

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_"Kersti, have I ever told you how much I appreciate your help?"_

_"It was your own power that allowed you to do this. I just gave you a push in the right direction. Are you sure about this?"_

_"Too late to turn back now. Besides, I promised, didn't I? To stay until the very end? The end's just a bit farther away now, is all."_

12211212

The Sky Knights were a persistent bunch, that much was certain. After one fell, two more would take their place, at least until, above Tiz and Agnes' heads, they ran out of soldiers.

"Barras, no! You're the only one who can fly this thing!" White Mage Holly Whyte shouted, in order to keep Monk Barras Lehr from jumping overboard. "And why did you send everyone else overboard, anyway? Have you no tactical sense?"

"The only tactics a warrior needs are frontal assault, and death by frontal assault!"

"... Apparently so."

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_"Still, they're doing better than before, aren't they?"_

_"Even if you forget, the basics still remain... in most cases."_

_"That was still the fastest Job I ever maxed out. Now, hush, I'm doing something."_

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Tiz and Agnes were running, trying to avoid the surviving Sky Knights. Both of their outfits were stained with blood. Airy fluttered alongside them, as the small group fled the ravine. Something seemed familiar about this moment to Tiz, but he didn't know why. He was certain that he'd never been in this situation before.

Still, despite how much was obviously wrong, there was definitely some part that was right. He just didn't know why.

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_"Have you tried making contact?"_

_"Do you remember what happened last time?"_

_"You mean those last five minutes or so there? Now's as good a time as any."_

_"I will not distract someone while they are running for their life!"_

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Emerging from the ravine, Tiz shook his head to clear it. For some reason, he had a large headache.

"Are you alright?" Agnes asked. He nodded. He just needed a good night's sleep, that was it.

122121

_"_Tiz, don't you dare! Are you even listening to me?"

_"It's for the best."_

_"_No, it's not! I don't want to leave Luxendarc! I don't want to leave you people behind! No, Tiz, stop! Tiz! Tiz!_"_

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Tiz gasped awake. He sat up, and focused on recovering from... whatever that dream was. He had been arguing with someone he couldn't see about something, only he didn't know what. They had arrived back in Caldisla around midnight, so he was still rather exhausted. He decided to go for a walk around town.

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_"Oh, this is new. Hey, is that-"_

_"Yes."_

_"Think they should talk? I mean, I haven't done so before, but..."_

_"You know taking direct control means more loss of power, right?"_

_"I need like half a minute, tops."_

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He hadn't meant to go this way. He didn't know why his feet were moving in this direction still. He certainly hadn't meant to bump into the man he was now standing right next to.

"Oh... sorry." What was wrong with him today? For a moment, he swore he could hear someone whistling innocently. "I haven't been myself recently." And the feeling returned, and he realized that if higher beings existed, then they were probably laughing at him.

121212

_"Please stop proving him right."_

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While the people of Caldisla settled down for the night, Edea was less comfortable. It wasn't the location, although there wasn't enough bedding and those who slept outside got first pick. It wasn't the temperature, although the floor was rather cold. It wasn't even the lack of sweets, although that definitely irritated her. It was a feeling of not belonging.

It had been a short time ago when those feelings started, and now... She hadn't paid attention at first, but now she eyed the asterisks the commanding officers carried jealously, imagining how those powers could suit her. She could imagine, in excruciating detail, what it would be like for fire or lightning to cloak her blade. Her senses were sharper, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. And she found it harder to trust anyone.

It scared her, how so many facets of herself had changed without her noticing. But this new power... could it be worth it?

Edea didn't know.

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Something was wrong. Airy hadn't realized it until that moment, when Agnes asked if she knew why Tiz had seemed so familiar. Too late to turn back, though. She had an idea of who may be manipulating the world, for good or for ill, she didn't know.

It didn't matter. As long as she reached Ouroboros, nothing else mattered.

But at the same time, despite all of the worlds she'd traveled, and all of the havoc she'd wrought, there was something different about this Luxendarc.

Something... familiar.

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Daichi: Kersti and the other mysterious character are going to be permanent fixtures. Also, can anyone guess who Kersti and the other character are, or why the main characters find things familiar?


	4. Hourglass

Daichi: This won't have progression towards the game's story, but it is important in it's own way.

Vee-Vee: Trust me when I say we don't own these things. The brains of the outfit gets sidetracked by everything.

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To truly understand how the story up until now unfolds, one would have to go back about four months. Those months would change the fate of the worlds forever.

It started in the Celestial Realm, where there was a girl who was not the most pleasant person, and had no friends. Through unknown means, a gaming device found its way into her mailbox, and she kept it for herself. Seeking out games for it, she became an avid player, even if only when she got some time alone. There was one in particular that she wanted, she just needed a way to find it...

At the same time, there was a family argument going on.

Anne looked at her little sister. "What, do you really think you can change anything? All of these Celestials, falling into my trap... One day, someone will succeed."

"Is this really worth sacrificing Airy for, though?" The smaller fairy asked.

"She made her choice, Kersti. Besides, we aren't meant to care." But Kersti did care. So she made a plan to save as many realities as possible, so no matter how many fairies embarked on a suicide mission, at least that set would be safe. But she needed help. She couldn't leave on her own, she needed Celestial guidance.

Unfortunately, all she got was one. A girl who failed making friends once, and justified that as reason not to care anymore. Still, any help was better than none at all. And over the next four months, they had an adventure, until they realized what they'd have to do. And now, they would continue doing it, no matter what.

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Tiz stared at the hourglass that the strange adventurer had given him. It was different than a normal hourglass, he'd realized that when he'd somehow stopped time with it. Still, why? Maybe if he could break it or something...

_"Yeah, no. I don't recommend you do that, at least not yet."_ He sat up.

"Who's there?"

_"Oh, right. I'm basically a being from another plane, still in my own existence while at the same time giving you subtle guidance... or using your body as a meat puppet if need be... with the help of my friend from another different, but similarly overlapping plane... No, I don't understand it either."_

Tiz blinked a few times, before setting the hourglass down. "But what were you saying about the hourglass?"

_"My friend says it will help you later on. I'm not sure about the details. Just so long as nobody else does anything with the hourglass, it should be fine... and under no circumstances are you to let Airy touch it. I'll tell you what to do with it once we have everyone we need to make this work. You're taking the whole thing surprisingly well, by the way."_

"Everyone I know and love is dead."

_"You may have a point there. By the way, you're the only one I can directly communicate with, so if you could not mention my existence, that would be great."_

He nodded. "So, do you have a name?"

_"It... doesn't matter. But... if you need to address me... call me Koeko. Not my real name, but it will suffice. Stop laughing, Kersti! I did not just get that name off of the internet, whatever makes you think that!? My browser history proves nothing! ...I'm still talking to him, aren't I? Look, just, pretend you never heard that or anything, alright?"_ He didn't understand several of the words used, but simply nodded. He decided to try falling asleep again, and this time managed to drift off.

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Ringabel had watched Tiz go without saying a word, and now he was second-guessing that. Something about that had seemed unusually familiar, despite everything. At the same time, something told him that it was a bad idea.

Not that that would stop him later.

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Airy and Agnes were still asleep. Had they remained awake, they might have heard Tiz's conversation with Koeko, but as it was, they remained blissfully ignorant to the greater part of what was going on. That was probably a good thing.

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Edea leaned back against the wall, watching the light that the moon cast upon the floor. The feeling of not belonging had gotten even stronger now. She didn't know why. There were other things she didn't understand fully as well.

That soon she would have to make a choice. That this choice was one that had already been made, countless times. That no matter the choice somebody was going to suffer.

That no matter the choice, she would have to harm someone close to her.

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Daichi: I am taking everything I can find and running with it at this point.


End file.
